Tues 19 January

This morning is peaceful and quiet.

Cara and I take advantage of an early rise to wander round the estate taking snaps before breakfast.

The Lake looks particularly inviting and we see a rice barge or two glide by.

The property is delightfully deserted with hardly a guest or a member of staff.

There are hundreds of birds in the trees and also in a funny birdhouse. (L)

We haven't got time to stay and enjoy it alas. There is much to get done and not much time. We need to set off and retrace our steps into Kottayam. On the way, we catch a few good sights.

A bus stuck in a swamp reminds me of the "LOST" TV series I am such a fan of.

Also I cannot resist the red post box!

Kottayam is a big dusty and dirty city with a LOT of traffic. The news bureau is tucked away and a bit hard to find, but in the end we succeed. Suja is waiting for us with open arms and shows us the tiny office where the two volunteers will be working.

Babu is keen for the volunteers to meet their homestay as soon as possible. They will be staying with Lathika, an interesting woman. A social worker and also the secretary of her political party in town, she houses various lodgers and is very warm and hospitable.

We meet her whole family and tour the house, working out where everyone will be sleeping. There is some flexibility but it is all pretty intimate and cosy. (Will this be too much for our intrepid pair?)

R to L: Suja, Granma, Lathika, her son and Babu behind Tom G. and Cara.

We are given a very nice snack and soon it is noon and time for Babu and myself to depart for TRV.

I did volunteer to take a train back to Trivandrum to be at my Ayvdc appointment on time at 5 pm, but Babu insists that he wants to drive me back since he brought me all this way. Thankfully, the journey home is much swifter. Babu is driving fast (for a change) and NOT answering every mobile phone call that comes through. This saves us a lot of time. Babu does amazingly and we arrive at my clinic with 10 minutes to spare. He is utterly stressed out and shattered.

My Ayurvedic treatment is given with alacrity, but I still make the ladies stay late, so feel I ought to tip them.

Arrive home at 8 exhausted and dismayed at the questionable use of 2 days of my life. I figure there must be a reason for all this.

I'm in no mood for conversation so hide in my room and watch The Inn of the 6th Happiness. I bought this DVD for Babu but he hasn't had the time, inclination or the attention span to watch this. He is too distracted by so many other thoughts and phone calls. It is good escapist stuff and I do like Ingrid Bergman!